Hide and Seek is a Terrifying Game
by Steph-Schell
Summary: Part two of "Miles and Charlie's Big Day" Miles loses Charlie in the park.


"We have reached the park," Miles declared as he turned the car off. "What should we do first?"

"The swings! The swings!" Charlie crowed.

"Alright, little duck. The swings it is."

Miles unbuckled Charlie from the car seat and carried her over to the swings. "Push me high," she ordered.

"How high?"

"So high I go over the bar!"

"That is very high, little duck. Let's secure those dog tags soldier." Charlie tripled up the chain so the tags wouldn't' hang so low. "Ready?"

"Push it high!"

Miles pushed the swing until Charlie was whooping with laughter. And she encouraged him to keep it up. Even with the strength training he did every day, including on vacation, Charlie's excitement out lasted his stamina. "Charlie, honey, we gotta stop. My arms are giving out."

"Fine," she sighed as the swing slowed. "Can I go on the slide?"

"Wait your turn and don't push," he ordered. Charlie kissed his cheek and hurried off. Miles rubbed his left arm as he watched her go. It was still sore from the bullet he'd taken in his last tour of duty. But he wasn't going to let a few aches and pains ruin Charlie's day. "I should take that girl back to Paris Island," he sighed. "She'd make for great training."

Charlie only took three turns on the slide before she was running back to Miles. "I want on the monkey bars," she insisted.

"Look, kid, my arms are aching. Let's play a game where I don't' have to do any lifting."

"Hide and seek?"

"Hide and seek sounds like a perfect game. Who's hiding?"

"I am."

"And I'm counting to ten right?"

"Right."

"Okay, go on and hide." Miles closed his eyes and listened to the dog tags jingle around her neck as she ran off. He counted slowly to give Charlie time to find a good hiding spot. Of course she would pick the same spot she always did. "Ready or not, here I come!"

He ambled towards the slide. Charlie liked to hide under there for some reason. Nine times out of ten she could be found there. So Miles frowned when she wasn't' under there this time. He went to her other spots. No sign of Charlie anywhere in the playground.

Miles forced himself to be calm. The park had other parts. Charlie could have been distracted and wandered to the baseball field or the tennis courts. He briefly considered asking one of the mothers for help but then remember the fiasco that had turned into last time. Getting arrested for pedophilia would certainly put a damper on this day. Though it might be worth it to see Charlie 'defend his honor' again.

Miles jogged over to the baseball field but there was no sign of his little cuck. He went to the tennis courts. Still no Charlie. Now he felt the first threads of panic. If Charlie had gone into the woods, he was in deep shit. Those woods were huge. Trying to find one small four year old was nearly impossible.

He refused to let himself consider the other possibility. His niece had _not _been kidnapped. She was just lost in the woods. And he was going to find her so they could keep playing. This time he would be sure to keep her in his sights.

Miles darted into the wood and began calling for his little duck. The more time that passed, the more worried he got. He just had to find Charlie. He _had _to. "Charlie!" he cried. "Charlie, this isn't funny. Come on, little duck, where are you? Charlie, please come out."

God, his niece was missing and it was all his fault. Ben would never forgive him. Hell, he would never forgive himself. "Charlie!" he called once more. "Charlie, I give up! You can come out now! You won!"

Miles was about to reach for his cell phone when a giggle sounded behind him. He whipped around to see a delighted and slightly dirty Charlie skipping towards him. "I win!" she crowed.

Miles lifted her into a tight hug as soon as she was close enough. "Little duck, don't ever do that to me again," he whispered.

Charlie wriggled so he to loosen his grip and she could pull back. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

MIles thought about telling her how scared he was when he couldn't find her. But it wasn't in him to watch her smile disappear as he said that. Today was about making Charlie happy. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, you beat me. You know I'm supposed to win this game, little duck."

Charlie laughed. "I beat you!"

"Yes, you did, honey. Yes, you did."

"Uncle Mi, your pocket is buzzing," she informed him.

Miles had to twist a little but he managed to get his phone out of his pocket. "Looks…" He cleared his throat. It was still rough from all the screaming he had done. "It looks like your parents plan to go out tonight. They left us a key for when we decide to go back."

"I don't' want to go back yet. I want to play more."

"We will, little duck. But this time let's play a game that doesn't include hiding."

"Tag?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we can play tag."

"Yay!"


End file.
